Group uses 'tennis hos' party as example for Feminist Week

By Johanna Mitchell

Frustrated that gender is rarely discussed when it comes to theme parties, Lauren Clyne sported a painted-on moustache, a white polo shirt and tan plaid shorts to grab the attention of passers-by in Benson Memorial Center on Monday. Mairead Burke accompanied Clyne in a short-skirted blue lycra tennis dress.

"Want to know why I'm dressed like this?" Burke yelled at passing students.

Burke and Clyne, both members of Santa Clara's Feminists United club, spent several hours in the early afternoon Monday dressed as a "golf pro" and a "tennis ho" to bring light to gender discrimination at theme parties.

The bright orange flyers the pair passed out were part of the awareness campaign of Feminist Week, a series of events designed to break down stereotypes about what feminists are, said senior Christy Arrington, who is one of the main organizers.

The controversy that erupted after January's "south of the border" theme party was a call to action for Feminists United, said Arrington, the group's president, and many group members were "disturbed by the fact that there was no discussion of gender, as well," she said.

"I think people started noticing that these aren't the only theme parties that degrade people," Burke added.

The "Golf Pros and Tennis Hos" friendly and visual format was the result of a last-minute decision to opt for tabling instead of the scheduled panel discussion.

"We wanted more of an interactive thing, to actually reach the students who wouldn't come to any sort of event," Arrington said.

Students looked "mostly confused" when approached, said Burke, but most students seemed receptive, accepting the bright orange flyers she handed out.

The pocket-sized handouts distributed throughout the afternoon contained statistics about the reality of prostitution and compared the multi-layered connotations involved in the labeling of women as "hos" and men as "pros."

Sophomore Patrick Romo, who considers himself an "ardent feminist," said he has not attended a "golf pro and tennis ho" party and does not agree with the objectification of women in these settings.

"A lot of women who are self-respecting and feel like they're empowered go to these parties dressed up as 'hos,' not really realizing the impact of what they're doing," Arrington said.

"Regardless of how empowering a woman finds her sexuality, playing the role of a ho is an inherently self-demeaning act," Arrington added in an e-mail.

Contact Johanna Mitchell at (408) 554-4546 or jjmitchell@scu.edu.